The End
"The end of everything that stands. No elaborate plans, no safety nor surprise. The End." - Semi-incomprehensible ramblings of Densmore Krieger, veteran of The End Far to the northwest, off the coast of Einherjar and Bella Perpetuar, lies an eerie island the size of a region. Those who venture there tell of a place with little sense and reason, and few return with much else than the knowledge of the places they've been. No artifacts of immense power, no curious creatures of strangeness. Just tales. Geography Scholastic maps reveal it to be somewhat star-shaped, with eleven 'arms' in the shape of peninsulas. These arms each are the places of unnatural, common sense-defying environments, explained below. In the middle lies the Hole of Kheyor, a gateway into Kheyor. Although many sailors have attempted, no person has ever been able to enter the island through anything but a mysterious set of doors connected to the second peninsula and two ferry lines by the sixth and seventh. The peninsulas are numbered one to eleven, starting from the northernmost one and going clockwise around: 1: The Linen Overground The first peninsula has no earth, trees or anything, save a cover of linen. From coast to coast, a layer of linen simply covers the peninsula, and any attempt to cut through it have revealed only more linen beneath. 2: The Immense Reeds The second peninsula is one huge forest, but instead of trees, one will find lots and lots of reeds and jackhammers the size of oaks. Much parchment could potentially be made from all this, but when one enters through the gate-sized door that connects The End to the rest of Ardalore, they will find that no item originating on the island has returned with them. 3: The Cave A huge cave is the only landmark on the peninsula. Few tales agree on the location and insides of this cave, causing speculations that it may be a giant portal to random caves on Ardalore and otherwise. 4: The Krakish Lakes A race known as the Krakish lives in the many lakes that make this peninsula more water than land. The Krakish are said to be a sub-species of Troll, as these enormous creatures have such features as one might expect: gangly arms, great strength, equally great lack of intellect, and an affinity for their environment that belies humanoids of most sorts. 5: The End Whoever enters this peninsula discovers the end of the world. Or, at least, a world. Some enter an icy landscape hailed by meteor storms, others come to a cold, grey, muddy wasteland, and others experience.. well, other ends of the world. 6: The Whiskey Bar This peninsula has many whiskey bars strewn throughout. Most notable of these is -The- Whiskey Bar, which is the one by the landing where ships come in. Equipped with some of the finest whiskey in the world, this and other bars are tended by people who have taken up residence on the island, perhaps to get away from something, perhaps because of a great enthusiasm of alcohol. The rest of the bars are empty, save for the occasional adventurer having a self-served drink and a rest. 7: Peninsula of Tunes There is little to see on this peninsula, save for a large tavern (some say a hotel) owned by a mysterious Mister Morrison. Most visitors to The End land on the docks connected to that place and check in to experience the least perilous of the region's peninsulas. For the only thing about this peninsula is the music in the air, played when one leaves the tavern. Some experience soothing wind chimes, others will find the dirge of a rip saw being played, and others again hear a multitude of other sounds that change as one moves around the peninsula. 8: The Eternal Lust (maybe) People are unsure whether you actually experience a sensation of great lust when exploring this peninsula, or if it is merely the effect of a particular bonfire located on one's right when travelling there from the seventh peninsula, or left i approaching from the sixth. 9-11: ??? These peninsulas seem to evade meaningful exploration, though the ninth may contain an invisible forest. The reason for this lack of knowledge is that The End is not easy to navigate, so very few people would actually do it, and even fewer return. Other places of notice The Hole of Kheyor Only a telescope is to be thanked for the knowledge that there is a hole in reality in the centre of The End. Noone has ever returned from just nearing the hole, and a ring of signs exists to warn anyone of certain demise should they enter. The Trading Volcanoes Somewhat north of the Hole of Kheyor lie a pair of volcanoes that frequently and violently erupt. However, their magma is never a threat to anyone, as the entirety of one volcano's spewings always arcs perfectly into the opening of the other, and vice versa. The Great Kingdom Situated between The End and the mainland lie two islands populated by thoroughly generic humans. Generic apart from their high, almost arrogant, self-judgement. By no means great, this kingdom may have once held considerable lands to its east, given a number of Elven artifacts in their treasure chambers. The Island of Wasps Pretty much self-explanatory from the name, this island between the fourth and fifth peninsulas has almost one wasp nest per ten square meters. Suffice to say, few people ever venture there, but those who do usually pack a lot of protective gear. Dragonrock Dragons are the animals that have the most variations in Ardalore. As such, their origin being this particular mountain (with a maw-like opening) so close to a chaotic place such as The End seems very likely. In addition, every single type of dragon is supposedly present within the mountain, and it also seems there are more dragons in the hollow rock than is physically space for. You can see the Island of Wasps from it. Ancient Lands of the Aldruans Scholars and anthropologists believe that this wooded area neighbouring Einherjar is where the Aldruans originated. The Aldruans living here are less warlike than their Einherjar counterparts, though still xenophobic when compared to those colonists in Morg'nuul. They do not use the alien weapons and armour as their easter brethren, either. There is, however, a tendency for these Aldruans to appear warped. According to legends, the forest they live by houses a mystical force capable of changing a person's appearance. Certain Aldruans embark on a perilous journey to seek and find these forces and gain the power nestled therein, either as a sort of test of honour or as penance for a crime. Not all return to their homes, though, as one could as easily become a strange, feral beast as a stronger, wiser man.